Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: Ranking the best monster movies of all time

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire continues to dominate the global box office ever since it hit theatres last week. The film is the latest entry to the MonsterVerse franchise and a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong. While critical reception for the films have been lacklustre, audiences have praised the film for being an entertaining monster action flick that delivers on all expectations and some. For today’s List Hai Toh Hit Hai podcast, we have ranked the top eight monster flicks of all time.

8. Cloverfield - Prime Video

Helmed by War of the Planet of the Apes and The Batman director Matt Reeves, Cloverfield is a unique monster film set in a fictional New York. It leans on found footage style storytelling, and it follows a trio who attempt to rescue their friend trapped in an apartment, in the wake of a monster attack in the city. The narrative emphasises on the harrowing struggles and terror of the characters rather than on the monster itself. Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, and T.J. Miller among others play prominent roles in the film.

7. An American Werewolf in London - OTTplay Premium

There have been several films over the years that have delved into the mythical European folklore of lycans or werewolves. However, the cult ‘80s horror-comedy An American Werewolf in London, is arguably one of the most definitive werewolf stories ever told on the silver screen. The plot revolves around two American college students, David and Jack, who are attacked by a mysterious wolf-like creature, while on a trek across the moors in Yorkshire, England. Jack is killed in the attack, while David is hospitalised with injuries. But when an undead Jack returns and warns David about the true nature of the attack, their frightening English holiday takes a turn for the worse. The film is directed by John Landis and stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, and John Woodvine in lead roles.

6. Pacific Rim - Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play

A list featuring the best monster films would be incomplete without a Guillermo del Toro film. While Pacific Rim might not be considered the Academy Award-winning auteur’s most celebrated work, it certainly remains an underrated ‘kaiju’ action thriller. The plot follows humanity’s battle against giant sea creatures with the help of giant battle robots known as Jaegers. The film features excellent battle sequences wrapped in a captivating story. Pacific Rim features an ensemble cast of Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Rob Kazinsky, Max Martini, and Ron Perlman.

5. A Quiet Place - Prime Video

A Quiet Place is a 2018 sci-fi horror movie directed by John Krasinski and co-written by Krasinski, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods. Best known for playing Jim in The Office, Krasinski stars as the lead alongside his wife and Academy-nominated star of Oppenheimer Emily Blunt. The plot follows a family as they struggle to survive and raise their children in a post-apocalyptic environment. In this peculiar world, blind extraterrestrial creatures with heightened hearing hunt down and prey on humans, forcing the family to remain in absolute silence to evade possible danger and threat to their life. The film garnered significant praise for its horror and unique depiction of survival elements that cumulatively led to the film’s critical acclaim.

4. Kong: Skull Island - JioCinema

The most underrated film featuring everyone’s favourite giant ape, King Kong, is the 2017 film Kong: Skull Island. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the film follows a crew who embark on mission to Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, natives of the island, and dangerous monsters who inhabit the island. The underrated film offers compelling visuals and also pays homage to Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece, Apocalypse Now, and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the book that inspired it. It features a star-studded ensemble of Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell, and John C. Reilly among others.

3. Alien - Disney+ Hotstar

Ridley Scott’s Alien, which released in 1979, is a genre redefining film that spawned a franchise that continues to strive to this day. It also  propelled lead star Sigourney Weaver as one of the top stars in Hollywood, and it also established her character Ripley as one of the greatest female protagonists of all time. The narrative follows the crew members of a spacecraft who encounter a terrifying alien being, after responding to a distress signal. Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, and John Hurt among others play pivotal roles in the film.

2. Jaws - JioCinema

The film that occupies no.2 on this list is the iconic 1975 Steven Spielberg film, Jaws. It introduced a new brand of monster films to the world and it also confirmed that Spielberg was destined for greatness in Hollywood. The film tells the story of how a giant shark wreaked havoc, killing swimmers, along the shores of a popular holiday spot. The local sheriff teams up with a marine biologist and local fisherman to hunt down the terrifying creature. The lead roles in the film are played by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton.

1. Jurassic Park - Prime Video, JioCinema

The number one film on this list is the undisputed king of monster films, Jurassic Park. It should not come as a surprise that the top two spots are occupied by Steven Speilberg films. This legendary 1993 film is an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name. While both the film and novel have taken a few creative liberties in terms of depicting historical accuracy of various dinosaurs, it helped introduce a whole generation of audiences to these fascinating pre-historic creatures. The film features a gripping narrative and visuals that were far ahead of their time. Despite spawning five sequels over the last two decades, Jurassic Park remains unmatched in terms of sheer quality. The film boasts an exciting cast that includes Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, BD Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards.

Well that's all for this episode , see you in the next one. Until then it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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Written by Ryan Gomez